Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-04-12
THE sHINoLE wRAvERs.
nn. nrnlrlon nlIp. Innn cANr.
qrrrn popo. ~ ms orp p,rs.

The shaved cedar shingls Is now al
mos, thing Of the past. New ones ATE
scarcely ever seen. nor would old ons'
be seen now except for their remarkable
lasting qualities. IL 10 quite possible
there are some old buildings 10 town or
hereabouu iha, are till protected by
them although many year has gone ey
since their nail. were driven.
Fabulous stories are told abog, the
number Of years they will resist decay.
The day. Of the modern single ate a.
an hand breadth compared with those
old veterans Of the forest They were
made Of the fines, lumber. aud we're
shaved =. smooth a. glass. and no moist
ure va, held to eat into their viial'.
Ia many case. they have remained upon
roof. entirely sound and solid until the
falling rains had literally worn them
through. Touch the Oldest ihhAbiiAni
on the subjsc, OF rif,sd shingles, and
you will find him an enthusiast every
time.
The bushes. OF shaving shingles was
quite an impor,.n, one sixty years sgo
or more. Long after saw mills were
bull, IN this part OF Maize. the shingles
were made by hand. In those old times
nice stock for ni,ing was esgefly sought
ard the ,,umpsge was Of considerable
value and perhaps !, was not strange
in those days when the rough corners Of
existence had no, been 90 much worn on
a. now. that some Of the wilder sori Of
"shingle weavtr.." a. they were called.
indalgsd in practices to ge, good timber
iha, would row be deemed reprshen'i'
be.
In the nor,hsrly part d the ,o~n'
which WAS then lil,ls settled, there were
large tract. Of forests belonging ., The
propiisiois. some wealthy Ma"1chl-
,eii. people. for whom Dr. Huilsish ~as
agent. These PARKWAY folks ~efe no,
supposed 20 keep very sharp watch
over their properly. ard a. Dr. Barleigh
wa,A very busy man and could not be
sysfywhsfe a. once. many fac Tree
was cat ard worked up % made timber
Of al unbekno~n % any Of them Tax
INK advantage Of this state q ah'if'. a
bold company Of weAvsr. folr % five 90
number. vent On 10 ihi. land otes GA d
time. .. tradition tell. h.. built a camp,
and lived there or some weeks makins
up hle loi u .hinglr, olt ~ some ex-
TIA good lumber they found there
A. they wsfe away OF IN The depths
Of the wood. oai u sight and hesfins OF
ever, body. all their operation bad been
kept a pro'oa,d secret. they fsli perfect
Is secure. and PILED up their 'hinsl--
with a good deal ~ gu''o ashley cracked
their is,.. snd INDUCED 10 pleasant a.
ticip.tion. Of the iun they ~oIld have
on he grand overland Tip 90 B,nsof %
market them. Judge OF their surprise
then. when one pleasant afternoon. jl''
q. they bal nearly completed The Jot
(,hsy we're goihg ou, % ihe settlement ih'
next day they heard "see UP. Bright
down the wood roAi aud found some rAl'
ding team vas coming their way.
They scui % The bu'he. 20 hide -
quick a. young par,iidsss will lily 20
the cover and were All safely out Of sight
when DR.. Barlsish with an OK team add
diver appeared On the scene after h,i'
shingles. The doctor Ani hi, man looked
over The deserted camp. With queer smiles
over the good Joke they bad 70, on The
indu.iriou, ire.passefs. and then backed
the team around aud loaded up the shin
sls. 20 haul them cut.
But the weA,efs were determined mer
and did no, rsli.h seeing their weeks Of
labor carried OF. and have glorious iriI
,rip % Bangor spoiled Ia that way, ADD
il !. no, % he wondered a. that ih- smile
over The biz Joke faded psfcspubly from
the face Of the doctor and bis man wher
they started 70 haul their load out 20 fine
= tee fslled scro.. the rod which ,iiee'
tually barred their way. 1here was nj
help COZ IL. and they let the smile z,
While they set 20 work with the oxen q
pull the tree on, Of the way They 'uc'
cesded after while snd went on only q
find = second tree in the road. no, much
further on. This removed. a third oa'
wss found. l, was now late and NJ
time could BE- spared from work 30 ihel
unhiich,l the oxen and erep, ,hfoagl
the woods around the obsiueiions and
made the bes, time they could 20 gei on
q tie wood. before tue dArkne's shu
them IN.
They weti back the next morning AZ
ter their load. bu, found only the SEC
awaiting them. The shingles bad beer
spirited away some said, duringihe night
They probably wen, With the weaVer' Il
Bangor market. and !, j. more than prob
able that good par, Of the proceed
were ,pinli,i away In an oll.ia'hione'
earou,al. which took on an added degre
Of hilariiy in celebration Of the doctor
smile when he loaded up the 'hinslss a
the csmp.--Delisr Gl-e'ie.